Distress-signal.



. SCHOLDER.

DISTRESS SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED on. 13. 1916 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented May 28,1918.

Suva wot IVI. SCHOLDER. DISTRESS SIGNAL.

APPLICATION mm OCT. 13. I916.

1 ,Q"6%9 1 1L 0 I Patented May 28; 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

; \L\ M y t;- 70' O O 0 0 g 3; -5a (W/O8 o 8? c1 Roi A101 QM [MoosMAURICE SCHOLDER, OF NEW YORK, N. "Y.

DISTRESS-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2%, ll td.

Application filed October 13, 1916. Serial No. 125,432.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l[, MAURICE SCHOLDER, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the-county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inDistress-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to alarms, and more particularly to distresssignals and fire alarms for use in all kinds of buildings.

It has for an object to provide a system including a signal for help andpolice, and also for fire, using part of the wiring system for bothservices.

A further object is the provision of a composite system of closed andopen circuits, having the closed circuit actuate the external opencircuit.

A further object is the provision of a closed actuating circuit havingactuating apparatus in each room or apartment of a building, whichcontrols an open circuit in which an audible and visual signal operatingmeans is placed. 1

A further object is the provision of a signaling system having anaudible and visual slgnal placed upon the outside of a building toattract the attention of outside help, actuating means laced in eachroom or apartment of a buil ing, and an annunciator placed near theentrance of a building to advise the outside help of the distressedquarters in the building.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an alarm which maybe placed in an apartment, dwelling, store or factory, having an audiblesignal for use when conditions permit, and. a visual si al to assist theaudible signal in attractlng attention of outside hel A further olijectof this invention is the provision of a signalin system having twoactuating means, of w ich one controlsa normally closed circuit, whichthrough a relay gives a distress si al on the outside of the building,or in a actory where desired,

and the second actuating means directlycontrols a normally 0 en circuitto actuate both the distress and re signal.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a system having anormally closed circuit to actuate a normally open circuit and to have anumber of actuating means in theclosed circuit placed at desired pointsin a building such as in each room or apartment, on each window or door,or

pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, has been illustrated, a single andpreferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that nolimitations are necessarily made to the precise structural detailstherein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modificationswithin the scope of the claims.

may be resorted to when desired.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification,appended claims, and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions of a building showing thisinvention applied thereto.

lFig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the wiring and apparatus.

Fig. 3 shows the alarm as used in factories and the like.

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view through the alarm.

Fig. 5 is a similar view through the closed circuit push button.

Fig. 6 is a similar view through the open circuit push button, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view through a closure release alarm.

In this invention, l have devised a system having certaincharacteristics. which renders this system especially applicable todwellings, apartments, schools, churches. meeting places, factories. andstores of all kinds, and in each application, the same principles willbe used in having an actuating circuit with actuating apparatus therein,having this apparatus so placed as to be convenient to a person needinghelp in seeking exit from the room in which the assistance is needed. Anormally closed circuit is used so as to render the system alwaysoperative; inasmuch as the system will operate as soon as anythingbecomes wrong with the operating circuit. such as the batteries becomingexhausted, the wiring being broken, or the actuators becoming faulty;This actuating circuit controls a working circuit in which the alarmsare placed, and the alarms will be positioned as to be most readilyseenand heard when in operation, such as in a conspicuous place on theoutside wall of the building or 011 a column in a factory. With theactuating means and the signal, it is necessary in most cases to providean indication so that outside help may quickly locate the cene ofdistress, so I provide an annuncialor at or near the entrance of thebuilding, store or factory, which has drops, or other indicating unitselectrically connected with the actuators to identify the particularlocations.

- Referring to the drawings, in which a conventional showing of thisinvention is had, (A) indicatesihe actuators, (B) the signal in itsentirety, and (C) the indicating or annunciating unit in its entirety.These units are electrically connected so that they coeperatesimultaneously in establishing the call for assistance and indicatingthe immediate location where needed. e

In Fig. 2, 10 indicates a battery such as a gravity cell battery whichis eflicient in a continuously closed master circuit. This battery has aconductor 11, leading therefrom to a closed circuit push button 12,which has the other conductor 13, leading to the push button 14, andfrom this button,

the conductor 15, leads to the button 16, from which the conductor 17,leads to the windings 18, of a relay, and then, as by the conductor 19,back to the other terminal of the battery 10. In this master circuit, itis seen that the windings 18, energize the electro-magnets of the relayto maintain the armature 20, in raised position.

When the circuit through any of the push buttons 12, 14, or 16 is brokenor should the circuit be opened by any break in the wires, the windings18, in being deenergized allow the armature 20, to fall so that thisarmature contacts with the pin 21, to complete a normally open workingcircuit through the battery 22, conductors 23, 24 and 25, to the light26, and bell 27. The conductor 23, leads from one terminal of thebattery 22, to the i armature 20, and the pin 21, forms the terminal ofthe conductor 25. A trip 26, is provided so that as soon as the armaturefalls, it becomes locked in its lower position until manually releasedby an authorized person knowing the locationof the relay. The light 26,and bell 27, are shown as placed in a housing 29, which has theopenings30, formed therein to permit the sound from the bell or gong being heardfrom a distance. The light will preferably be placed in a reflector 31,and will have a lens 32, over it to increase its eliiciency, and thislens will preferably be green to identify this light.

conductors 40, lead to a common conductor 42, which is connected to oneside of a light socket 43, in which a light 44, is placed, and

from the opposite side of this socket, a conductor 45, leads to theconductor 24, which becomes a common return to the storage battery 22.The conductors 41, lead to the common conductor 46, which is connectedto the wire 25, below the branches to the bell 27, and light 26, so thatwhen the actuators close the circuit through the conductors 40 and 41,the lights 26 and 44, become lighted and the bell 27, rings to give thetwo signals. The light 44, is placed in a reflector 47, and has a lens48, over it to increase and concentrate to rays for observation, and

this lens 48, will preferably be red to indicate a call for the fireapparatus.

,.The push button 12, may be of any desired form such as shown in Fig.5, in which a base 49, has the terminals 50 and 51 secured thereto, towhich the conductors 11, and 13, are attached, and one of theseterminals has a spring leaf 52, formed thereon which contacts with theoverturned end 53, of the other terminal, and a button or knob 54, iscarried by the removable cap 55, to bear on the leaf 52. Pushing theknob opens the circuit through the unit 12, and actuates the relay. Theactuator 37, comprises a base 55 on which the terminals 38 and 39, areattached, and a common central terminal 56, has a spring leaf 57, formedthereon which, when depressed by the button or knob 58, connects thecentral terminal with the terminals 38 and 39. To maintain the knob indepressed position, a shackle 59, is hingedly attached to the actuatoras at 60, and this shackle has a stud 61, which enters the lock 62,where it is held, until released by an authorized person.

The annunciator comprises a number of drops 63, which are pivotallymounted as at 64, and held in raised or obscure position by trips 65formed on the armaturcs 66, and these armatures are pivotally mounted asat 67. Each armature 66, is placed near the core 68, of anelectro-magnet hav- -'ing the windings 69 and 70, and these windlngs areelectrically connected with the actuating apparatus so that manipulationof the actuating apparatus will be indicated in the annunciator. Thedrops 63, and trips 65, are included in the circuits through thewindings 69, and this is accomplished by having wires 71, and 72,bridged across the conductors 11, and 13, of each push button 12, thewire 71, leading to the pivotal support for the armature 66, and thewire 72 tracts the armature 66, and thereby raise the trip 65,permitting the drop 63, of that set to fall and thereby open thenormally closed circuit.

When one ofthe. actuators 37, for example, the one shown at the left ofthe drawing, is operated by the closing of the shackle 59, there-over,the current flows from the battery 22, through the conductors 33, 34

and 74, through the winding 70, of the uppermost annunciator through theconductor 73, to the commonscentral terminal 56, of the actuator. Atthis point the current 'divides, a part passes to the contactj38,through the member 57, and is conveyed by the conductor 41 and the,common conductor 46, to the lamp 26, and bell 27, from whence it passesthrough the conductor 24, to com-' plete the circuit through the battery22. The remainder of the current flowing through the member 57, from thecommon central terminal 56, passes to the contact 39,

and is conveyed there-from by the conductor 40, and the common conductor42, to the lamp 44, from 'whence it is conducted through the conductors45, and 24 respectively to the battery 22. It will thus be seen thatboth of the lamps 26' and 44, as well as the bell 27 and thecorresponding annunciator drop 63, are operated, to give visualandaudible distress signals and to indicate at the same time thelocation of the point at which assistance is desired.

When the push button 12, is operated the circuit is broken at this pointbut the winding 69, of the corresponding annunciator,

which is normally shunted by the circuit breaker when it is in normalclosed position, will be energized by the current flowing from thebattery 10, through the relay windings 18, conductors 17, circuitbreaker 16, conductor 15, circuit breaker 14,- conductors 13 and 72,winding 69, drop 63, trip 65, conductors 71 and 11,'and back through thebattery 10. This action will result in the attraction of the armature66, thus allowing the drop 63, to fall and thereforeindicate theparticular push button which has been operated, in order to locate thepoint at which assistance is desired. It will be further noted that whenthe drop 63, falls, contact between the tri 65, and the drop 63, isbroken, thus breaklng'the circuit from the battery 10, and energizingthe relay windings 18, thus allowing the arinature 20, to close theworking circuit containing the battery 22, thereby deenergizing the bell27, and the lamp 26. When the armature 20, drops, it is retained incontact with the contact member 21, by means of the catch 26, thuscausing the signals to be continued in operation until the device ismanually re-set.

In Fig. 3, the indicator or alarm is shown as mounted on a column in abuilding and in this figure, 75, indicates the joists for the flooring76, which may be braced by the stringer 77, and the column 78. A box orhousing 79, is attached to the column at the desired height, and onopposite sides of this housing are the reflectors 80, and 81, in whichthe lights and colored lenses are placed. The lights may be controlledby the actuators heretofore described and from desired points throughoutthe building.

It is also desirable to use the system for protection against burglaryin an automatic way so each closure for a room or building may beprovided with a circuit breaker as shown in Fig. -7, in which, 82,indicates a movable closure which moves against or on the edge of thestationary part 83, in which a housing 84, is inserted. This housing hasa guide 85, formed therein for the'pin 86, which has the stems 87,sliding in the ways 88, in the guide. The inner end of the pin is inbearing relation with a spring contact member'89, mounted upon theinsulating block 90. This spring member 89, has its upper end contactingwith the spring member 91, when depressed by the pin 86, and the springmember 91, is also mounted upon the block 90. Screws 92, serve toconnect the terminals of the wiring of the system to the spring contacts89 and 91. This circult breaker may be placed at each door, window,closet, or in any drawer or cabinet.

It is further possible to equip stores of any class or bankinginstitutions with circuit breaking means by placing apparatus similar inconstruction to the push buttons 12, in the flooring, along thewashboards, or at any desired points, so that the alarm may be operatedas by the feet of a person acquainted with the system, without anyoutward movement of the body in an emergency. 4 I

What is claimed as new is 1. In a building protective system, a normallyclosed master circuit, a relay in said master circuit, a plurality ofcircuit breakers connected in .series in said master circuit, aplurality of annunciators each having a magnet, a winding for eachmagnet shunted across a respective circuit breaker, signal meanscontrolled by said relay, armatures for said magnets, and normallyclosed contacts connected to said windings and adapted to be actuated bysaid armatures to open said master circuit.

2. Tn a building protective system, a normally closed master circuit, arelay in said across a respective circuit breaker, signal meanscontrolled by said relay, armatures for said magnets, normally closedcontacts connected to said windings and adapted to be actuated by saidarmatures to open said master circuit, a second Winding for each magnet,a circuit for each of said second windings, an actuator in each of thelast mentioned circuits, and a signal device in each of the lastmentioned circuits.

3. In a building protective system, a normally closed master circuit, arelay in said master circuit, a plurality of circuit breakers connectedin series in said master circuit, a plurality of annunciators eachhaving a magnet, a winding for each magnet shunted across a respectivecircuit breaker, signal means controlled by said relay, armatures forsaid magnets, normally closed contacts connected to said windings andadapted to be actuated by said armatures to open said master circuit, asecond windin for each magnet, a circuit for each of sald secondwindings, an actuator in each of the last men tioned circuits, a signaldevice in the last mentioned circuits, and means whereby said signalmeans are controlled by said actuators independently of said relay.

4. In a building protective system, a plurality of normally closedcircuit breakers arranged in series, a plurality of normally openactuators, a plurality of signal devices controlled by said actuators,means whereby certain signals of said plurality are controlled by saidcircuit breakers, and a plurality of annunciators each adapted foroperation by a respective circuit breaker and by a respective actuatorindependently.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MAURICE SCHOLDER.

